Single Malt Scotch.

[evasive_MT]

Corryvreckan is my fave so far. What might beat it at another price point?

In my experience Corryvrecken is probably the best comparison to the Lagavulin 12 I posted above. The Lagavulin is harder to find and about $10 more, but it has a 12yr age statement. It’s very nice.

[bennymac]

This was quite likely already posted - but just in case:

This is a 20 minute read - save it for when you have quiet time and an open Islay bottle nearby.

Reinventing Scotch Whisky

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...term=TNY_Daily

"He was greeted by a padlocked gate, a welter of hazardous-chemicals warnings, and a sign with a brusque message: “plant closed. no visitors.” He saw a worker in the courtyard and made his plea. “Look,” he said. “I’m your best customer, I’ve come from London—I’ve come all this way, and I’d love to have a look around.”

The worker’s response was even brusquer than the sign: “Fuck off.”

Unable to visit Bruichladdich—unable, anymore, even to enjoy its whisky—Reynier devised a modest plan to save his favorite spirit: he would buy the distillery."

[bennymac]

For anyone who has been on a distillery tour in Scotland (or Ireland) this will be familiar to you

NSFW due to language

[irul&ublo]

Down visiting my parents and my dad found a bottle of Laphroaig 10 yr in the back of his liquor cabinet.

Holy fuck was that shit vile.

[Brownski]

Down visiting my parents and my dad found a bottle of Laphroig 10 yr in the back of his liquor cabinet.

Holy fuck was that shit vile.

It’s an acquired taste. Not for everybody. Needs to be consumed on a certain kind of day- not for warm or sunny weather. I like it a lot.

[irul&ublo]

The taste wasn’t that bad, but the fucking smell ruined it

[bennymac]

laphroig 10 is the exact opposite of a starter scotch

when I smell laphroig my mouth waters and I get a little endorphin rush

[Brownski]

laphroig 10 is the exact opposite of a starter scotch

when I smell laphroig my mouth waters and I get a little endorphin rush

Yeah, it’s not even a starter Islay. I like the smell too. It’s like you had a fire in your closet, put it out with a hose and then let it sit wet for a couple weeks while you went on vacation. Yum

[evasive_MT]

One of my favorites.

Sipping some Smokehead at the moment.

[teledad]

My wife (not a scotch drinker) saw these in the liquor cabinet and said “why don’t you pour one into the other to save space.” Lol.

[bennymac]

😂

Although you should pour equal measures of each into a glass and try it

[evasive_MT]

Buy the 12 year old and tell her she gave you the idea.

[JimmyCarter]

Buy the 12 year old and tell her she gave you the idea.

No no no, she said to add the 16 and 8. That’s 24…

https://www.thewhiskybarrel.com/laga...ersary-charity

[evasive_MT]

No no no, she said to add the 16 and 8. That’s 24…

https://www.thewhiskybarrel.com/laga...ersary-charity

Holy shit

[Woodsy]

Yeah, it’s not even a starter Islay. I like the smell too. It’s like you had a fire in your medicine closet, put it out with a hose and then let it sit wet for a couple weeks while you went on vacation. Yum

FIFY
gotta get that band-aid in there...

Reminds me, buddy and I were in a bar in Norwalk, CT before a Mike Gordon & Leo Kottke show a few months back.

One of the obvious regulars gets up and goes in the back as some one had left something for him. turns out its a whiskey drinking club and they are small bottles of unlabeled whisky. He is not a big scotch guy and offers them to the bartender to pour for himself, his buddy and the 2 of us.

"I say, its a nice Islay" to puzzled looks. The bartneder says "yeah I can taste the peat and something else..."

"Almost antiseptic?" I ask
"yeah" he rpelies
"like a bandaid?"

Hes like holy shit, yeah thats it, band aid. I never thought I would say that in a good way!

[bennymac]

If you do a tour of the Lagavulin distillery you get to drink from a 40yo cask. My friend even got “baptized” with some of it.

[Hood26]

How about I send you another half a bottle of 8 for the 16 before you start saving room?

Actually, I think you just got clearance to skip the younger expressions all together to save room.

It’s only 18 MacCallan, 21 Springbank, 16 Laga, 14 Oban, Highland Park21 for you from here on out. Cheers!

[Grange]

I just picked up a bottle of Craigellachie 13 this week. I may crack it open this weekend. I'm expecting a typical Speyside.

[Cruiser]

^^^ That 13y is a peach! Their 17y is still high on my list of all time favorite whiskeys

[liv2ski]

It is that time a year and being just to cheap/thrifty to dump $180 into a bottle of 18 year old Highland Park I investigated more reasonable offerings and came up with this. Any comments.

[bennymac]

I’ve not tried that^

Just a few things to be aware of

this Abelour is bottled at “cask strength” (in this case 60%) vs Highland Park 18 is bottled at around 40% - so it’s gonna likely have a bit more of a punch up front

the Abelour doesn’t have an age - it them taking certain casks of their choosing and adding them together to make a product - that’s the “batch” they are referring to on the label. Each batch is gonna taste slightly different vs Highland Park 18 is gonna be watered down and blended so that every bottle tastes the same today and next year and going forward.

One is not worse/better than the other. They are both blends of casks - just think of it as the 18 will be consistent with whatever reviews you find and will be smooth at that age - vs the Abelour will likely be stronger and louder - and you’ll have to read specific reviews of that batch if you want tasting notes as other batches will be different

[evasive_MT]

I like Aberlour- the 12 is a go-to “cheapish” malt for me. I’ve had one A’bunadh. I enjoyed it for what it was but didn’t feel the need to get another. Each release is a little different, though. My favorite batch-strength Speyside was a Tamdhu. I haven’t seen that very often, but I’ll buy another when I do.

I’ve been on an Ardbeg kick as the weather turns cooler. I’ve been bouncing back and forth between the 10 and Uigeadail.

[Brownski]

It is that time a year and being just to cheap/thrifty to dump $180 into a bottle of 18 year old Highland Park I investigated more reasonable offerings and came up with this. Any comments.

That is a great scotch. Be prepared to throw some ice in it

I like Aberlour- the 12 is a go-to “cheapish” malt for me. I’ve had one A’bunadh. I enjoyed it for what it was but didn’t feel the need to get another. Each release is a little different, though. My favorite batch-strength Speyside was a Tamdhu. I haven’t seen that very often, but I’ll buy another when I do.

Have you tried Tomintoul 16yr? It’s excellent and usually a little less expensive than better known Speyside brands. You get a lot of bang for your buck with it

[tgapp]

It is that time a year and being just to cheap/thrifty to dump $180 into a bottle of 18 year old Highland Park I investigated more reasonable offerings and came up with this. Any comments.

I've probably tried 3 different bottlings of A'bunadh - what I would say is it varies significantly between years, and it's worth reading reviews of whatever particular release you have. One I had was absolutely breathtaking, the other, great, the third, like shoe polish.

Full disclosure: I'm a HUGE fan of cask strength, ex-sherry barreled whisky.

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

[Grange]

I had Ardbeg 10 and a few other Islay scotch whiskies this past weekend. I have mixed feelings with Ardbeg. Sometimes it's like tasting big camp fire and other times it's like licking an ashtray. I still go back to Lagavulin Distiller's Edition as my favorite Islay scotch from the ones I've tried. I'm not much of a fan the Wee Beastie, but the Uigeadail can be good.